Word: gakkai
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...Hiroshima, who disagreed with Kishi's foreign policy, used a 5-in. dagger to disembowel himself in ceremonial hara-kiri in front of the Premier's official residence. And there was also something decidedly un-Western about the election of all six candidates nominated by the Soka Gakkai sect...
Freshened Minds. Founded in 1930 by a crusty, quick-tempered high school principal, the sect seeks to annihilate all other religions and to establish Soka Gakkai (literal translation: the value-creating study group) as the national religion of Japan. New to politics, this flamboyant sect first made its mark in the April municipal elections when 337 of its 362 candidates were elected to office. Founder Tsunesaburo Makiguchi believed that mankind's salvation lay in the teachings of the Buddhist saint Nichiren* By merely chanting the magic formula, "Namu My oho Rengekyo [I devote myself to the Scripture...
There is a strong military cast to Soka Gakkai: ten families constitute a squad; six squads a company; ten companies a local district; and 30 districts a regional chapter that is directly responsible to headquarters, which is governed by a Supreme Commander with six appointed aides. The faith is propagated through weekly meetings of squad members, where there are long group discussions of the personal problems of members and how to overcome them...
Chanting Police. Its methods of recruitment are novel: believers go in relays to the house of a hoped-for convert and, day and night, chant the magic formula. Irate neighbors frequently call the police but are sometimes flabbergasted to find that the policemen often belong to Soka Gakkai too, and join their voices to the chanting. Often the unfortunate target will give up and become a member of Soka Gakkai just to get some sleep...